


Here we are in the future

by ArturisNebula



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: I'm so bad at doing third person I'm sorry in advance, Juno Steel Needs a Hug, Juno and Nureyev fluff, Juno is sad hours, M/M, Nonbinary Juno Steel, Nureyev has a broken leg, Peter Nureyev Needs a Hug, Peter is UpSeT about the future, They're such nerds, cuddling!, end of season 1 feels, morning cuddles?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:28:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25446877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArturisNebula/pseuds/ArturisNebula
Summary: Buddy gives Juno the morning off from helping with Carte Blanche repairs which he obviously goes to spend with Nureyev
Relationships: Buddy Aurinko & Juno Steel, Peter Nureyev/Juno Steel
Comments: 5
Kudos: 77





	Here we are in the future

It had been a long night for Nureyev. A long year, actually. Hell, a long life for someone who was barely 36. Though, he always told people he was 40. To throw them off, he told himself. Really it was because he felt… old. A 36 year old shouldn’t have that many wrinkles, shouldn’t find another grey hair with each passing minute. He’d been getting weaker and older and it was getting harder and harder to file each landmark, each reminder of how feeble he was getting under “for future consideration,” because the future was upon him. He didn’t like that much. Most of the time at least.

“Hey, Nureyev, you busy?” Juno was through the metal door before Nureyev could even begin to open his mouth in response. Of course he wasn’t busy, what with the broken leg and Vespa’s hissed orders to stay off of it “or else.” But, he wished Juno had at least pretended that Nureyev had some semblance of control over his life.

“I suppose you’ve answered that for me, haven’t you Juno.” He returned, sharply. Juno looked a little taken aback.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to assume-”

“It’s fine,” Nureyev shook his head and smiled. “You just surprised me is all. I assumed Buddy was going to be keeping you busy.”

“She let us have the morning off. Something about…. boosting morale?” Juno sighed, walking over and flopping into the chair sitting in the corner of Nureyev’s sparse room. He winced a little as his head hit the wall. “Stupid planet.” He grumbled under his breath. They were all still getting used to life outside of the Carte Blanche— in this case, a chair positioned closer to the wall than it’d been the countless nights that Juno had spent in Nureyev’s room the months previous. 

Nureyev chuckled. “So, Juno, what brings you to me? We can’t possibly have more to discuss after last night.”

“Well… I… was kind of hoping that we could just… uh.” Juno flushed red and stared at the ceiling.

“We’re not children, Juno.” Nureyev waited until Juno’s eyes met his again. “And, I’m not a fan of guessing games.”

“I was just hoping that maybe we…”

“Yes?” Nureyev shifted his features to look like the picture of innocent confusion. He always found it so entertaining to watch the hardened and sarcastic detective he’d grown so close to become as bashful and shy as a Brahman schoolgirl at the slightest thought of anything beyond kissing.

“Could just… you know.” 

“Do I?”

“Nureyev.” Juno sighed, “you know what I mean.”

“I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about, detective. I’m merely trying to figure out the mystery behind the vague words you keep spouting.” Nureyev smiled slyly, scooting closer to the wall.

“Damnit, Nureyev.” Juno huffed, more embarrassed than irritated. He moved from the chair over to the small space on the bed Nureyev had just created. He sat down, hunching his back and staring at the floor. Juno always felt so… stupid around Nureyev when they were alone. Nureyev and his stupidly beautiful smile that pulled Juno apart and stitched him back together in the wrong order every time he saw it. It was so easy to talk to him, to spend hours going over every last wrinkle of pain and fatigue beaten into their bodies. It was even getting easier to bare insecurities to this man who’d already trusted him beyond reason, who still wanted him even after he’d left and…. Juno was scared. Scared that he’d say something wrong. Scared that Nureyev would be the one to leave this time. And hell, if Juno didn’t think that’s what he deserved that most of the time.

“Juno?” He felt a hand on his shoulder, relaxing almost immediately at the now-familiar touch. “Is everything alright, love?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” He took a deep breath, turning his body and leaning backwards until he hit the pillow. “What was I talking about again?”

“You were failing to regale me with the possibilities available to a pair of people that don’t involve talking?” Nureyev smirked, moving his hand to trace circles across Juno’s chest.

Juno felt every nerve on his body tingle at Nureyev’s touch, even if he could hardly feel it through his well-worn coat. Every time that man so much as laid a finger on Juno he could feel every nerve ending trying to force his body to push closer, inhale more of that cologne that seeped into everything it touched and feel… him. He was addicted.

“Oh, uh yeah. I just… we haven’t… I… you…”

“Do I really make you that tongue tied, Juno?” Nureyev grinned.

“Just- never mind“ Juno sputtered, finally giving up and moving his gaze from Nureyev’s face to stare at the ceiling. He though he’d wanted to finally take advantage of neither of them having the burning desire to talk to satiate other burning desires, but he was too nervous, too out of it.

“Juno? Are you sure you’re okay?” Nureyev’s tone morphed from light-hearted to concerned.

“Yes— no. I don’t know, Nureyev.”

“Talk to me. Remember what Captain Aurinko said?”

“That she’s not my therapist?”

“That nothing’s going to get better if you can’t talk to me.” Nureyev lifted himself up onto one elbow to look at Juno’s face. His gorgeous, scar-constellated face.

“Look, this is the best thing to happen to me in… god knows how long, and I’m afraid I’m going to screw things up like I do with everything else”

“Juno, I thought we already talked about this.” Nureyev sighed and rubbed at his eyes with his free hand before gently cupping Juno’s face and turning it towards his. “I’m not going anywhere.” Nureyev felt a pang in his chest, thinking back to waking up in that empty bed. Allowing himself a few moments to cry before wiping away the vulnerable parts of himself. Back then he thought he’d never let a man like Juno Steel back into his life, let alone Juno himself, but people change.

“I know” Juno sighed, reaching up and intertwining his fingers with the hand Nureyev had placed on his cheek. “I just keep thinking you’re going to finally realize that me, my baggage is not worth your time. That you’re you, and I’m me and that a sad and lonely detective has no business being in your life.”

“I’m touched that you think I’m something special. You more than anyone knows that I’ve at least three more suitcases than you, Juno. We’ve both made mistakes, but the past isn’t something that needs to determine our future. We’re here, together, and right now that’s all that matters to me.”

“Yeah, ok.” Juno exhaled.

This unexpectedly heavy moment clouded the air between them for a few minutes. Both of them thinking, perhaps monologuing in their heads about the current situation. They began to speak again at almost the same exact moment, fumbling over one another’s words.

“Nureyev, I-“

“Look-“

“You go first,”

“No, I think you should continue.”

“But-“

They both stopped again, each wondering how they’d even gotten from flirting to a level of awkwardness that neither had been in the company of, much less participated in for a very long time.

“Let’s give this another go, shall we?” Nureyev stated more than asked.

“Yeah, that sounds good.” Juno stood up, taking Nureyev’s statement a little too literally. He walked outside and pushed back through the door, similarly to how he’d done it a few minutes ago except with a little more confidence this time.

“Hey, Nureyev,” Juno walked across the small room and sat down next to him on the bed.

“My, Juno, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, what brings you to me at this early hour?”

“I want to kiss you.” Juno said, staring at Nureyev’s pale, pink lips.

“Then by all means, go ahead.” Nureyev replied, closing his eyes as Juno’s lips brushed his cautiously at first, and then more boldly. He felt Juno’s body sigh into his as he placed his hands on the small of Juno’s back and pulled him closer. They stayed like that for a long while, breathing one another in and blurring together in every place they were touching. Juno finally broke away a minute later, breathlessly.

“I hadn’t realized how much I missed this.” He smiled and blushed a little.

“It’s been quite a while since we’ve done more than talk, hasn’t it?” Nureyev said, thoughtfully. “Time passes more quickly when there isn’t weeks of floating towards our next destination.” He reached over and ran a hand through Juno’s beautiful curls. They gave less resistance than he expected, though it was obvious that they hadn’t seen more care than a quick rinse in at least a month. 

“You have lovely hair, my Juno.” Nureyev let his hand drift aimlessly down Juno’s neck, slipping his hand beneath the collar of Juno’s jacket, drawing his fingers across his shoulders and dipping his hand down the front of his thin, white t-shirt for a moment before bringing it back to rest on Juno’s cheek. 

Juno shrugged off his thick coat, as he so rarely did, and let it fall to the ground. Nureyev let out a hum of appreciation at the body he’d so dearly missed. He ran his hands up and down Juno and pulled him closer, pleased to be unhindered by that bulky excuse of a jacket. Juno’s body ached with anticipation, burrowing as deeply as he could into Nureyev’s chest and basking in his warmth for a few moments before raising his lips back up to Nureyev’s. 

They hadn’t been physically close like this in a long while and it was apparent in the desperate hands and clutching grasps. But, it was also obvious in the disconnect, the awkward bumps, the whole new level of stress added by the broken leg. And yet, they were melding together again. 

It wasn’t the same as the time they’d spent together as Rex and Juno, brief and passionate, all attraction and no substance. And, it wasn’t the same as the effortless slotting together of Duke and Dahlia, the absolute trust and sprinkling of mystery. It was more human. More messy, but also more real. Full of fear and pain, but also brimming with love. It was the past, the passion of Rex&Juno and the trust within Duke&Dahlia intertwined with the hope of Peter&Juno. They were together, finally. And, for the first time in a very long time, Nureyev was happy to be in the future, with Juno.


End file.
